Grant Park / Serra Cross Park in Ventura

For some of the most spectacular views of Ventura you can ask for, stop by Grant Park / Serra Cross Park off of Ferro Drive in Ventura. Grant Park is a 107 acre park of mostly open space. Serra Cross Park is located at Grant Park. It is a one acre parcel that contains the wooden cross shown below.

The land and cross were sold to San Buenaventura Heritage, Inc. in 2003 in order to maintain the historic cross, which was placed on this spot in 1941 to replace the previous cross that was erected in 1912.

Visit www.serracrosspark.org to learn more about Serra Cross Park.

Get there via Brakey Road to the left side of Ventura City Hall or Ferro Drive off of Cedar Street. There are no restrooms, playground, drinking fountains, etc. at this park.

Disc Golf in Ventura County

Looking for disc golf options in Ventura County? You’ve come to the right place. These are all available to the public, free of charge.

The newest disc golf option is at Sapwi Trails Community Park in Thousand Oaks. The course has 19 holes. Hole #1 is located off the parking lot on Avenida de los Arboles at Kensington Drive. The park and course opened in March 2019. and is managed by the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD).

Rabbit Flats Disc Golf Course is located on the west end of Thousand Oaks Community Park, 2525 N. Moorpark Road (next to Thousand Oaks High School). This course opened to the public in May 2010. Park managed by CRPD.

Coyote Point Disc Golf Course is an 18 hole course located at Lake Casitas, 11311 Santa Ana Road, Ventura.

Chaparral Park, located at 217 N. Medea Creek Lane in Oak Park, has a newer 10 hole course. Course map at THIS LINK (that link also provides detailed instructions on how to play!). Park is managed by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District (RSRPD).

Also managed by RSRPD is a 12 hole disc Sycamore Park Disc Golf Course at Sycamore Park, 855 N. Planetree Avenue, Simi Valley. Detailed map and instructions at THIS LINK.

There is yet another disc golf course located at Sequoia Park, 2150 Tracy Avenue, Simi Valley. Also managed by RSRPD, this is a 9-hole course. Course map and instructions at THIS LINK.

Finally, there is a 9-hole disc golf course located at Lake Piru Recreation Area, 4780 Piru Canyon Road, Piru.

INNOVA Disc Golf Starter Set – Colors May Vary 160-180g – DX Putter, Mid-Range, Driver

Two Trees Escape Rooms in Ventura

Two Trees Escape Rooms is located at 2855 Johnson Drive Unit D in Ventura, near Sky Zone Trampoline Park. For those not familiar with escape rooms, they involve being locked in a room to solve a series o puzzles and riddles by gathering clues, hints and hidden objects. The goal is to solve the problem within 60 minutes.

Current room themes include Mystery at the Manor, The Runic Ritual, The 50s Diner and Davy Jones Locker,

Learn more at www.twotreesescaperoom.com.

Channel Islands Boat Rides - Island Packers

Since 1968, Island Packers has provided reliable, enjoyable transportation between the Ventura/Oxnard Harbors and the Channel Islands National Park & Marine Sanctuary.

Island Packers has scheduled trips departing out of the Ventura and Oxnard Harbors and is the only exclusive boat concessionaire with authorization to transport guests to the Channel Islands National Park. Three 149-capacity catamarans and one 81-passenger mono hull vessel provide half and whole day trips year round to the Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands, with trips to the Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands from mid-April through the fall months.

On a personal note, we've been on Islands Packers boats a number of times and they are a class act. Great service and responsiveness.

Marine Wildlife Cruises (which do not land on the island) depart from the Harbor for 3 hour narrated cruises along the shores of Anacapa or Santa Cruz Island within the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. Highlights include sightings of sea lions, harbor seals and marine bird life, along with the opportunity to view whales and dolphins during the channel crossing. Island Packers also offers whale watching cruises - which, depending on the time of year, are a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the Pacific's most magnificent creatures. While pods of dolphins can be seen nearly year-round, whales are a far more seasonal bunch:

• Late December-Mid April: Gray whales

• April-September: Humpback and Minke whales

• Summer & Fall: Giant Blue whales- not only the earth's largest mammal, but thought to be the largest known animal ever to have existed.

Whales aren't all these cruises have to offer, however. A trip to the Channel Islands can also mean sightings of rare birds! Though difficult, pelagic birding can be incredibly rewarding - but the real treasure trove is on the Islands themselves.

Santa Cruz Island is also home to the gem of the Channel Islands birding community - the Island Scrub-jay! The Island is the only place in the world this bird is found, and is highly sought after for avid bird enthusiast's 'life lists.'

For schedules, directions, tickets and more information, visit www.islandpackers.com, or call (805) 642-1393. Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Island Packers has two locations:  Ventura Harbor, 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105B, Ventura and Channel Islands Harbor, 3600 S. Harbor Boulevard, Oxnard.

A.J. Comstock Fire Museum in Ventura

NOTE: WE WALKED BY IN MID-JULY 2022 AND IT APPEARS THE MUSEUM IS EITHER BEING REFURBISHED OR HAS MOVED.

The A.J. Comstock Fire Museum is located in the Figueroa Street Mall, a one block pedestrian section between E. Main Street and E. Santa Clara Street in Downtown Ventura.

You don't actually walk through this museum; you look through the windows and are treated to a display of vintage items, including equipment and photographs that document the history of the Ventura County Fire Department.

The museum was dedicated to retired fire chief A.J. Comstock, who served the community for 33 years, from 1940 to 1973. 

The Figueroa Street Mall is located on the west end of the Downtown Ventura area, adjacent to Mission Park and the Museum of Ventura County directly west of it and the San Buenaventura Mission directly across from it on Main Street.

This block is also home to the San Buenaventura China Alley Memorial. A Chinese community was established on this block in the 1870s. Chinese merchants, laborers, farmers, cooks, laundrymen, gardeners and servants did business here and lived in small homes. These early settlers maintained their language and customs and rituals in this small enclave. The acclaimed Chinese Fire Brigade was formed here, often the first line of defense at local fires. 

Other contributions of the Chinese immigrants to the community included a water flume above the San Buenaventura Aqueduct along Ventura Avenue and the Chinese Fire Brigade that served China Alley and the surrounding neighborhood. The Chinese Brigade was often the first fire company at the site of a fire and was instrumental in saving many structures in the downtown area. During the early days of immigration, the people of San Buenaventura welcomed their new Chinese neighbors as an inexpensive source of labor. However, with the incorporation of strict national immigration laws in the early 20th century, a hostile environment forced the residents of China Alley to relocate to other areas.

The immigrants dispersed from the area in the early 20th century when immigration laws became more exclusionary and settlers moved away, either back to China or to neighboring areas. The City of San Buenaventura and the Ventura County Chinese American Historical Society dedicated a memorial to these settlers in August 2004.

The Figueroa Street Mall

Rock and Roll High in Ventura

Rock and Roll High is a school of rock based in Ventura at 70 S. Oak Street. Grades K-5 can form a band, learn songs, play shows and even record an EP. Learn more at www.rockandrollhigh.com or call 805.907.8933.

Ventura County Wine Trail

Ventura County Wine Trail offers 14 family-owned, award winning wineries right here in Ventura County and adjacent areas! Unique wine tasting tours, five star restaurants, luxury hotels, wine events and attractions, make an amazing wine country destination getaway.

Visit www.venturacountywinetrail.com.

Here are the 14 wineries (updated April 2019) that are part of this trail.

Alma Sol Winery in Thousand Oaks www.almasolwinery.com

Back Patio Cellars in Camarillo www.backpatiocellars.com

Boccali Vineyards and Winery in Ojai www.boccalivineyards.com

Camarillo Custom Crush Winery www.camarillocustomcrush.com

Clos des Amis in Ventura www.closdesamis.com

Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard www.herzogwinecellars.com

Labyrinth Winery and Tasting Room in Ventura www.LabyrinthWinery.com

Magnavino Cellars in Oxnard www.magnavino.com

Malibu Sundowner in Westlake Village www.malibusundownerwines.com

Millesime Cellars in Camarillo www.millesimecellars.com

Panaro Brothers Winery in Ventura www.panarobrotherswinery.com

Rancho Ventano Cellars in Oxnard www.ranchoventavo.com

Strey Cellars in Oxnard www.StreyCellars.com

Sunland Vintage Winery and Tasting Room in Thousand Oaks www.SunlandVintageWinery.com

Other wine tasting options around Ventura County

NAMBA Performing Arts Space in Downtown Ventura

NAMBA is a multi-disciplinary performance space located in Ventura’s historic downtown arts district. The programming focus is on culturally relevant stories that serve our community.

Namba provides the community with an intimate experience where artists entertain and share stories through artistic collaboration, unique programming, showcases, workshops, and classes.

Learn more at nambaarts.com or call 805.628.9250.

Ventura Raceway

Ventura Raceway is a world-famous dirt track located at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.  Ventura Raceway became world famous in the early 1990s when it hosted several years of the ESPN Thunder Series on television. 

With weekly racing events held on most Saturday nights from March through October, Ventura Raceway has a worldwide following of short track racing fans.  Most Saturday nights you can find the powerful VRA 360 Sprint Cars racing at the 1/5 mile oval.  These 600+ horsepower, open wheel racers hit speeds in excess of 80 mph on the track that is smaller than a high school oval track. 

Beyond the sprint cars, there are classes for seniors (age 45 and up) down to kids as young as 5 years old in a family friendly environment. 

Located at 10 West Harbor Blvd, Ventura. Admission (as of January 2019) is $15 for adults, $11 for 60+, military and students with ID and free to 12 and under (with adult). Visit www.venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE for more information.

Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park consists of 5 of the 8 Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara coast. Although the islands are close to the shore, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped.

The northern Channel Islands are Anacapa (1.1 sq mi), San Miguel (14.6 sq mi), Santa Cruz (96.5 sq mi) and Santa Rosa (83 sq mi) and the southern islands are San Clemente (57 sq mi), San Nicolas (23 sq mi), Santa Barbara (1 sq mi) and Santa Catalina (75 sq mi).

Channel Islands National Park includes the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara. Anacapa is located in Ventura County while the other four are in Santa Barbara County. San Clemente Island, the southernmost Channel Island, is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy. Catalina Island as we know with its population of 3,700 is a popular tourist destination. San Nicolas Island in Ventura County is also controlled by the U.S. Navy. On a clear day you can see two of the five islands, Anacapa and Santa Cruz.

Visitors to the islands may swim, snorkel, hike, camp, watch wildlife, sail and explore tidepools, beaches and canyons. There is no food service on the islands, so bring what you need. Take a commercial service to the islands like Island Packers, which has been servicing the islands since 1968. Landings at Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands are year-round while the more remote outer islands, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and San Miguel are scheduled late spring through early fall.

Visit the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/chis to learn more about visiting Channel Islands National Park. The park is open year-round.

The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park is located in the Ventura Harbor at 1901 Spinnaker Drive (805.658.5730) and the Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center is located at the Santa Barbara Harbor at 113 Harbor Way, 4th Floor.

On a clear day you can see two of the Channel Islands from Newbury Park and other Ventura County spots. Here's a view from the Rancho Potrero Open Space in Newbury Park.

Anacapa Island seen from a whale watching boat.

Seaside Wilderness Park in Ventura

Sign on W. Main Street near bike path and Highway 101 access point.

The City of Ventura's Seaside Wilderness Park is located across the Ventura River Main Street Bridge, adjacent to Emma Wood State Beach Park. One fun way to access it is by taking the Omer Rains Trail (bike path) to it from the Ventura Promenade area. But get off your bike when you reach your destination as this is a pedestrians-only park that contains the Ventura River mouth, the former "Hobo Jungle," the 1.3 mile Ocean's Edge Trail (tide pools) and .7 mile River's Edge Trail for birdwatching. Last time we were there we enjoyed some geocaching.

Ventura River Trail

The Ventura River Trail is a 6.3 mile asphalt pedestrian and bike path that follows the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way from Main Street in Ventura to Foster Park inland towards Ojai. The path, originally opened in 1999, connects the Ojai Valley Trail to the Omer Rains Trail along the beachfront for 17 miles of great bicycling. The trail is open dawn to dusk.

Much of the Ventura River Trail parallels Ojai Freeway 33 and as such is also referred to as the Ojai Valley Trail Extension. Here are the various access points from south to north:

• Dubbers Street at Rex Street
• West Park Row Avenue
• West Harrison Ave at Westpark Center
• Stanley Avenue
• Shoshone Street
• Shell Road
• Orchard Drive
• Crooked Palm Road at Highway 33 Underpass
• Ojai Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant Access Road
• North Ventura Avenue at Hwy. 33
• Santa Ana Road at entrance to Foster Park

OK, so now for some commentary. This is not exactly the most exciting bike path in the world. You are paralleling Highway 33 and are kind of off the beaten path in an industrial area, but it is a peaceful path. Also, there are several stops you need to make as you cross streets, so your kids (and you) do need to be aware of that. You won't find an ocean view on this path.  But...it is never crowded, quite flat and a great way to get out on the bikes away, for the most part, from automobiles.

One of the more interesting, albeit somewhat creepy scenes along the path is this dormant USA Petroleum Refinery that was closed in 1984 after operating less than 10 years.  A bit of an eyesore this 96 acre, barbed wire fence enclosed section on the north end of the trail is. In the past there have been homeless encampments in the vicinity, but I've never seen them.

What I like to do is park in the free city parking lot near the Omer Rains Trail at the corner of W. Main St and Peking St, then take Main St a block east to N. Olive St, turn left (north) to Rex St. Take a left on Rex to the bike path entrance.

Ventura Improv Company

Ventura Improv Company has performed at 34 North Palm Street locations for 27 years, since 1994. The group announced in December 2016 that it will not be renewing its lease here in mid-January 2017 but will continue to perform and teach at other spaces in the area, including the Bell Arts Factory and Namba. 

In addition to live improv on Fri/Sat nights, VIC offers improv and acting workshops for all ages. 

More information at www.venturaimprov.com or call 805.643.5701.